


Another Day Not Knowing

by ConfessionForAnotherTime



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2270586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfessionForAnotherTime/pseuds/ConfessionForAnotherTime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maine comes out of his coma after helping recover the Sarcophagus to Wash explaining what happened. Written for tumblr user FreelancerArizona.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Day Not Knowing

It wasn’t the silence that bothered him. It was not knowing. He may not have spoken much to begin with, but knowing that had been taken from him knotted the pit in his stomach. Wash was worried, like he always was when one of them was hurt on a mission. He remembered the days where South had curled against North as he lay in Recovery One, the holes he earned decorating his chest to keep her safe. Wash found it easiest to bring her food as she refused to leave him, in the same way he refused to leave Maine with his throat raw and maimed, bulletholes causing him to wince when he turned over. The doctors were unsure how he had survived as long as he did. Yet, he was here.

“Hey, thanks,” he sighed as she handed him a protein bar and some coffee.

“It’s what I could find. You did the same for me. How’s he doing?” South asked as she sat next to him, straddling the back of the chair.

“Not great, but they think he’s going to be fine. He won’t ever talk again, but he’s alive.” Wash sipped the coffee, glaring at the bitterness of the drink. “No sugar?”

“I told you it was what I could find. If you want your coffee with sugar and cream, go find it yourself.” She stuck her tongue out at him, pulling a protein bar out of the collar of her bodysuit.

“Do you always hide food on you?” Wash asked as he tore open his wrapper, forcefully chewing what passed for food on this frigate.

“Only when I know that people don’t like me.” South tore another chunk off, flashing her teeth at him before leaving her seat and moving toward the door.

“So, all the time.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” She gave an exaggerated wave before the door closed behind her.

The hours passed as Wash watched Maine’s bandaged chest rise and fall, spots of red starting to show through the white of the gauze. The bandaging around his throat was already stained red. Wash noted that the reconstruction of his throat, while successful, still carried risk of rejection from the skin grafts. Time would tell if more surgery was to come up.

Wash swallowed the last of his coffee, moving to wash the cup out and refill it with water. His face soured at the taste as not all of the coffee had washed out properly. He sat back in his chair next to Maine’s bed, hanging his head. _Another day not knowing._ Wash felt a clumsy hand touch his head, snapping him to attention.

“Maine?” His voice was shaky, unsure. He found his feet, but didn’t alert medical staff right away. “Buddy, is that you?” Maine hazily waved at him, his lips moving without sound. Maine looked at him quizzically, the realization dawning on him as soon as he realized where he was.

“You got shot, Maine. You remember that right? The chest, the throat. I was told you fell off the truck and got hit by another truck before Niner and I fished you out of the river. We weren’t sure if you would make it, to be honest. I’m glad you did.” The fire burned in Maine’s eyes as Wash recounted the story he only knew half of. “Carolina said you were protecting her when the sniper hit your chest. According to medical, you aren’t ever going to talk again. I wanted to tell you before anyone else.” He waited a moment as he was stared down, penetrating brown eyes watching his every move. “Maine, did you hear what I said?”

The bald man gave a short nod, his eyes not leaving Wash’s face.

“I know you weren’t big on talking in the first place, but you always listened with me. Sign language may be cumbersome beyond our hand signals during mission.” Wash got up to grab a pad of paper and a pen from the drawer next to the sink, taking his seat again after he handed Maine the pen and paper. “Here, this might help.”

Maine gripped the pen and paper, scrawling for a moment. He turned it to face Wash. ‘Is Carolina okay?’

“She’s fine. She was really worried about you but is taking it out on herself. Last I heard, she had been training for several hours, doing drills.” Maine turned the page, another set of words making their way onto the page. ‘Was the mission a success?’

“Yes. We recovered the Sarcophagus.” Wash’s face fell as he realized that Maine was more interested in ensuring their success than his own well being. “How are you feeling? Now that you’re awake.”

Maine took a moment to consider. He flipped the page again before writing one word onto the paper. ‘Pained.’

“Shit. They have you on max dose too. I’ll see if medical can increase it a bit in a moment.” Wash got up from his seat again, closing the distance between him and Maine to drop a kiss on the top of his head. Maine looked up at him, confused, before Wash planted another kiss on his lips. Wash pulled back as he noticed Maine hadn’t moved since his lips had covered his. Maine looked down, writing on his notepad feverishly. ‘You’re my friend, Wash. I don’t kiss my friends. I don’t kiss anyone.’

“Wash just worried about you buddy; that’s all,” Wash told him as he turned to walk out the door, “I’ll send medical in to tell them you’re awake.” 

Wash signaled to the medical staff as he left Maine’s room, hiding his eyes as he headed back to his room, stripping off his armor and sending a comm. to York to relay to Carolina about Maine waking up. He hoped Maine wouldn’t think anything of it and it would stay between them, a memory they laughed about on missions together or after sparing late at night. A slip in their friendship that resulted in nothing more than something awkward to laugh about later. Maine wouldn’t mind that Wash cared for him on that level provided he didn’t act on it, and Wash knew Maine wouldn’t let it hurt what they had.

\---

Wash closed his eyes as he remembered those friends who had long since passed. The new friends didn’t help the sting of those memories lessen, especially when the ones he cared about were likely being held prisoner by the New Republic. 

“Having new friends does me no good if I don’t have them here,” he said to no one, staring out over the snow covered bank by the water. “And now I don’t have you anymore to share with.”


End file.
